By Peter Egwuatu

A new initiative aimed at helping African graduates and skilled individuals earn above the minimum wage has been unveiled in Lagos by Developing Africa Group (DAG).

The pilot project, announced by the group’s founder, Ben Oguntala, introduces an Eligibility Test designed to identify talents and align them with structured, technology-driven self-employment pathways capable of generating up to ₦1 million per month within six months.

According to Oguntala, the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between academic qualifications and sustainable income at a time when many graduates struggle to convert their degrees and professional skills into viable enterprises.

“The programme is built on the belief that when Africans earn sustainably, they naturally contribute to broader continental development,” he said.

He explained that the Eligibility Test, priced at $20, assesses applicants’ capabilities, areas of specialization and readiness to participate in the structured support system. The test is intended to ensure that selected participants have the potential to reach the targeted income level through commercialization strategies and technology integration.

The pilot identifies nine major income pathways reflecting Nigeria’s diverse talent pool and economic landscape. These include sports, healthcare, education and career specialization, raw materials trading, intellectual property rights, consumer protection services, technology demand solutions, tourism services and data entry operations across the country’s 774 local government areas.

Under the sports pathway, DAG aims to support talented athletes in securing international contracts and related opportunities. Healthcare professionals, including nurses, technicians and specialist doctors, are to be linked with relevant medical technologies and service demands within local authorities.

Graduates in various academic fields are offered frameworks to transform their training into structured services supported by technology, while individuals with access to local raw materials receive guidance on scaling their resources into profitable ventures.

The initiative also promotes opportunities in intellectual property rights, covering copyrights, trademarks, designs and patents, with a focus on enabling writers, artists, innovators and scientists to commercialize their work effectively.

The application process comprises four stages: personal profile submission, module selection, module-specific assessment and payment confirmation. Successful applicants are to be notified by the administration team for onboarding.

Oguntola emphasized that the broader objective is continental development through individual empowerment.

“When individuals are empowered to earn a decent and dignified income, they naturally initiate transformation within their communities,” he said, adding that while the pilot is starting in Nigeria, the group plans to expand across Africa, with Namibia already expressing interest in collaboration.

With the rollout of the pilot scheme, DAG says it aims to provide a practical pathway for economic empowerment and reduce dependence on minimum wage employment by unlocking the value of African talent.